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"We'll just fix that in post!" has always been the rallying cry for filmmakers in the middle of a troubled production. Unfortunately, sometimes things have a nasty habit of actually getting broken in post-production, usually thanks to studio interference. Victims include ... I Am Legend
The Way It Was Supposed To Be:
In the film's original ending, Neville is trapped as vampires break through his barricades and infiltrate his hideout (who would have guessed that locking yourself in an enclosed space in the middle of a city full of vampires would turn out to be a bad idea?). Then, this happens:
Yeah. In the original, the vampires are revealed to be thinking, benevolent creatures who were merely attempting to rescue a vampire that Neville had captured earlier.
Not only does the book end in a similar way, but it in fact was the entire freaking point of the book. That's where the title "I Am Legend" came from, Neville's realization at the end that the vampires were the good guys and that he was the monster of their legends, since he had been mindlessly driving stakes through their heart at every opportunity. Maybe a title like So I'm The Asshole would have been clearer.
The "Improved" Version:
This brings up the other problem, which is that all of the little hints that had been inserted along the way indicating the creatures had intelligence (the complex traps they set, the same creature reappearing in some kind of leadership role) are completely ignored. In the new ending, the vampires are mindless savages with no other purpose but general horror movie mayhem.
Perhaps the saddest thing about all this is that it shows that no one involved really believed in the message of the final product. They didn't produce a film in order to convey any kind message, they just strung together a bunch of cool scenes and called it a movie. One more reason why audience feedback isn't always the best guide, as anyone who has read YouTube comments will happily tell you.
Where you can find the original:
Superman II
The Way It Was Supposed To Be:
Most of Superman II was actually shot at the same time as the original, by Donner. Donner was more of the Christopher Nolan school of superhero movies, rather than the Joel Schumacher one, meaning he didn't see the need for a lot of goofball camp in his superhero movies. He even brought on his own writer on both films to smooth out the most retarded parts of the scripts.
This all worked great, except for the fact that the producers hated Donner's guts, though probably not as much as he hated theirs. He was booted off the project with 75 percent of the film shot.
The "Improved" Version:
For some reason, Lester thought it would be a good idea to splice slapstick comedy scenes that played like rejected America's Funniest Home Videos clips into the vicious superhero battle. So, when the bad guys unleash their super breath on the city, we are treated to a shot of an ice cream cone flying into a dude's face.
Is it unfair to say that everything that was good about Superman II was due to Donner, and that all of the goofy parts were Lester's fault? Let's put it this way: When Lester was finally given control of an entire film from the start, he gave the world Superman III.
Where you can find the original:
Unfortunately, because not all of the scenes were filmed, Donner was forced to cobble together old unused shots and test footage to fill in the gaps, and it's pretty noticeable at times.
Dawn of the Dead
The Way It Was Supposed To Be:
In the film's original climax, the main characters, realizing that they will never truly be safe, choose to commit suicide rather than join the legions of the walking dead. The film was to conclude with a haunting final shot of our heroine Fran shoving her head into her helicopter's propeller. This was of course an allegory for America's failing educational system. It also is the way that, in our opinion, most movies should end.
The "Improved" Version:
... then suddenly, Peter changes his mind for no reason at all and easily fights his way back to the helicopter, with heroic trumpets blaring in the background the entire time.
Apparently, the studio opted to go with the less depressing ending, in which our heroes are condemned to spend the rest of their lives in a post-apocalyptic wasteland dominated by murderous reanimated cadavers. The 2004 remake reveals a major plot hole in the film's revised closing sequence: Why did they fight their way through those zombies when the obvious solution would be to simply construct an indestructible tank and some make explosives out of everyday materials?
Where you can find the original:
Live Free or Die Hard
The Way It Was Supposed To Be:
The "Improved" Version:
The result? The new McClane was so tame that he couldn't even say his famous catchphrase. Blood splatters were digitally removed (and taking the blood out of a Die Hard movie is like taking the blood out of a vampire movie). We're predicting that by the time that Live Free or Die Even Harderer comes out, McClane will be fighting terrorists (or are they?) while armed solely with walkie-talkies.
Where you can find the original:
Yes, they still have the scene where a car flies into a helicopter and yes, the plot still makes no sense. But you'll be surprised at how adding the grit back in makes it feel so much more like a Die Hard movie. Blade Runner
The Way It Was Supposed To Be:
In the film's original bittersweet conclusion, Rick Deckard chooses to harbor a renegade android, even though she will soon face an electric sheepless sleep of death.
The original film also contains implications that the main character might himself be a replicant, a twist so creative and shocking that we can forgive it for not making any goddamned sense at all.
The "Improved" Version:
The narration also reveals that Deckard's robotic lover Rachael was not programmed to self-terminate, and they both got to live happily ever after until they both rode off into Heaven on a unicorn.
Where you can find the original:
Hell, at this point it'd almost be easier to read the damned book. If you liked that you'll probably enjoy our look at The 6 Worst Movies Hollywood Almost Made. And don't forget to check out Internet Party 2: An Intervention for MySpace to see which sites you shouldn't be inviting to your next intervention. Or head to the brand new Official Cracked.com Store and become a startlingly attractive walking advertisement for our site. |
The ending in "I Am Legend" was changed because some friggen test audience didn't like it? Wow...that just goes to show how stupid the average American movie-goer really is. That ending totally ruined the point of the book.
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Most of ya'll are FAR too young to remember "The Last Man On Earth" starring Vincent Price (1964 I think) I'll bet. That was the FIRST making of Do Androids Dream... that I'm aware of. And yea, they copped out on the ending too! In fact the ending they used in Legend they lifted nearly word from word from Last Man. It's getting to where 'remakes' are nothing more than recycling...
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Anytime I bring myself to see a will smith movie, I know there's gonna be extra cheese on it.This one I kinda liked but have to agree with the ending it was no good.There was no need to sacrifice himself.
It should be noted: Dawn of the Dead was done without studio involvement, which is how it became NC-17. In fact, all of Romero's early films were done without major studio involvement. Also, on the Dawn of the Dead commentary, Romero admits he never filmed that ending, and decided himself that having the characters escape was more suitable to the comic, adventurous tone of the film.
This reminds me of the film adaption of The Mist. The movie ending imo was much harder to swallow then the short story's.
Worst ending was the Forgotten. It was a great ending, but when they went into the whole "aliens measuring love crap", i was pretty much wtfing all over the place.
What about The Departed? Great movie until the end.
Hollywood always fucks up Philip K. Dick. PKD is far too cerebral for the average American moviegoer.
"...as anyone who has read YouTube comments will happily tell you." So true. But what about us commenters here at Cracked? You love us, don't you?
ALSO CLOVERFIELD WAS A GOOD MOVIE BUT IT HAD A BAAAAAD ENDING!
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Brazil...the perfect example of a studio fucking with a perfectly good movie.
I thought Legends had mutants, not vampires? Meh, shows how much attention I paid to it...but then, I was hiding behind my brother and my dad throughout most of the movie. No matter how old I get, I still find security in putting them between me and what's frightening me. God help them if any horror movie *does* come true... Anyway, I think the reason the real ending was deemed controversial was not because it was, by the sounds of it, quite peaceful, but because we, as an audience, expect to be following, cheering for and associating with the HERO of the movie - that ending would mean we'd been following the VILLAIN, a concept that has a certain..."oh my god, I'm such a dick" factor to it. And not the good kind. The feel-like-shit kind. :) Does...that make any sense at all?
What about all that stupid, united New York-race riot-elephants runnin' around-ships shootin up- what is supposed to be a kick ass Bill the Butcher vs. young Amsterdam throwdown? Gangs of New York was in production after the 9-11 attacks and Martin Scorcese reworked the movie to reflect the new mood in America (we're all immigrants?) The movie was so good until black dudes started getting lynched.
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Will Smith was in 'Dawn of the Dead'?!
Not quite as useful as "look both ways."
First rule of Hollywood: Everything explodes.
You might have caught on a bit quicker.
Superheroes all share a unifying trait: their origins don't actually make an ounce of sense.
The X-Men without the shitty one liners.
Come on, some were trying to be funny!
Children are stupid. Let's laugh at them.
Thanks for the grills, Flavor Flav!
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